Deputies: Stalker leaves dead opossum on ex-girlfriend's doorstep

Published: Tuesday, May 7, 2013 at 1:28 p.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, May 7, 2013 at 6:18 p.m.

A DeLand man stalking and threatening his ex-girlfriend left a dead opossum on the woman's doorstep, investigating Volusia deputies said.

The dead marsupial is one of several calling cards Donald Scott Gustafson, 58, has left for his ex, deputies said.

Gustafson, a road and bridge division equipment operator for Volusia County, was arrested and charged with aggravated stalking, an arrest report and jail records show.

According to deputies, the ex-girlfriend, Willie Mae Lowe, 57, called deputies on Monday to report Gustafson has been stalking, threatening and harassing her.

Lowe said Gustafson has threatened her and told her that if he found her “he would take me out and whoever I was with out, even if it was five years down the road,” a shaken Lowe told deputies, according to the report.

A nervous and scared Lowe told deputies that Gustafson kicked in her front door on April 2 and left a firearm on her couch. The dead animal was left on April 27 and on April 29, Lowe said, Gustafson inserted and broke toothpicks in her vehicle's lock, investigating deputies said.

On May 3, as Lowe left her workplace, she found a letter from Gustafson on her windshield. In the letter, Gustafson said he was the one who left the dead opossum on Lowe's doorstep and stuck toothpicks in her vehicle's lock, the report states.

Deputies went looking for Gustafson on Monday and as they handcuffed him, he spontaneously said the letter he left on the windshield was his admission of guilt and apology, the report said.

<p>A DeLand man stalking and threatening his ex-girlfriend left a dead opossum on the woman's doorstep, investigating Volusia deputies said. </p><p> The dead marsupial is one of several calling cards Donald Scott Gustafson, 58, has left for his ex, deputies said. </p><p> Gustafson, a road and bridge division equipment operator for Volusia County, was arrested and charged with aggravated stalking, an arrest report and jail records show. </p><p> According to deputies, the ex-girlfriend, Willie Mae Lowe, 57, called deputies on Monday to report Gustafson has been stalking, threatening and harassing her. </p><p> Lowe said Gustafson has threatened her and told her that if he found her “he would take me out and whoever I was with out, even if it was five years down the road,” a shaken Lowe told deputies, according to the report. </p><p> A nervous and scared Lowe told deputies that Gustafson kicked in her front door on April 2 and left a firearm on her couch. The dead animal was left on April 27 and on April 29, Lowe said, Gustafson inserted and broke toothpicks in her vehicle's lock, investigating deputies said. </p><p> On May 3, as Lowe left her workplace, she found a letter from Gustafson on her windshield. In the letter, Gustafson said he was the one who left the dead opossum on Lowe's doorstep and stuck toothpicks in her vehicle's lock, the report states. </p><p> Deputies went looking for Gustafson on Monday and as they handcuffed him, he spontaneously said the letter he left on the windshield was his admission of guilt and apology, the report said.</p>